"Wait! Hold on a second! This world has a leveling system, powerful weapons,
and magic?!" Jace jumped out of his chair with joy as he read the Introduction Booklet
for the Pirates Guild. Jace back at home in his free time would play lots of video games.
And some of those games were MMO RPGs. Games with features just like this world
Jace found himself in. "Ok, I need to read this over again to get all this information in my
head. So it says here that all over this world, you can buy or find magical and powerful
weapons. Such as wands, staffs, spears, cutlasses, sabers and guns. But each weapon
of its class has its own power level. Starting at a power level called "Scallywag." And
there are five tiers. It goes from "Scallywag" to "Swashbuckler" to "Fire in the Hole" to
"Clap of Thunder" and finally, the highest power level, "Jolly Roger." And this is where
the leveling system comes in. It's not your ordinary leveling system you would find in
most RPGs. In most of the RPGs I played at home, your character would level up to
certain levels of numbers with experience points. The higher the level number, the more
powerful you would get. But in this world. No one has a level, but something called
"Experience Level." So from what I'm getting, anyone and everyone has to start with the
lowest power level of a weapon. No matter the class of the weapon. But if you want to
become more powerful. You need to practice like crazy with the weapons to be able to
wield more powerful weapons. And gaining more experience levels for more types of
weapon classes would take even longer. To be a successful pirate, you have to be good
with a sword and a gun at least. But to be able to get enough Experience Level to use
the highest classes of weapons for both weapon classes would be hard to accomplish."
Jace kept on reading the Introduction Booklet with his eyes as wide as an open door. "It
also says everyone has a mana bar. A classic thing you would see in most RPGs to
gauge magic use. But it says in the Introduction Booklet that every single person has a
set mana bar at birth. Each person can have a lot of mana, or not a lot at all. And mana
levels can't be increased or decreased permanently. Only with certain weapons and
buffs can someone increase their mana, but only for a short time. And people's mana
can also be decreased with spells and status effects. But again, only for a short time.
This Introduction Booklet also lists different types of ships you can sail. This one looks
sweet! It's called a Dutch Fleut. It says here that a recommended crew size for a Dutch
Fleut is a minimum of four people. But more people would be better. Ha! Like I could be
a captain. I suck at telling people what to do. If I was a captain of a large crew, I would
just get mutinied upon. I think four people would be perfect. If we can all work together
as like minded individuals, then I wouldn't have to boss them around so much. And it
also says that if you don't have the funds to buy a ship of your choice. You can use the
Starter Ship. It's just a simple Sloop, and you can use it for free! That's nice. But wait, it
also says that you have to pay for any damage that might be caused to the Starter Ship
on voyages. That sucks, but it looks like it'll be my only option for now. I have no money.
But that's what the voyages will be for!" Jace read further and started on the last page of
the Introduction Booklet. "Finally, the booklet says, "To keep track of your Experience
Level and other stats that belong to you like your mana level, health, and special
abilities, you need to get a tattoo on your left forearm that magically changes itself when
you grow in power or when your mana levels or health levels get affected." Cool! Now
that I'm done reading the Introduction Booklet, I've got a grasp on how this world works,
and I'm so flipping excited to experience every part of it!" "WOOOOHOOOOO!!!" Jace
shot out of his chair and yelled enthusiastically. The whole Pirate Guild went silent for a
second time and stared at Jace with quizzical faces.
"Ahhhh, sorry about that everyone, I was just really enjoying this rum! I just had
to shout!" Jace explained while he blushed with embarrassment and held up his mug of
rum with a smile..
"Aye, aye!!!!!" The entire guild erupted into cheer out of nowhere and everyone
lifted up their cups in joy and the chatter of the guild resumed.
"Oh yeah, I forgot pirates loved rum, I guess they agreed with me. Saved my
skin, hehe." Jace said to himself with a shy smile.
"Saved your skin huh." Cindy appeared out of nowhere behind Jace.
"AHH!!!" Jace leaped out of his clothes in fear. "Where the hell did you come from
Cindy?!"
"I was just checking on you. Are you finished with the Introduction Booklet?"
Cindy asked.
"Oh. Yes, I'm finished. I think I understand everything a little bit better now." Jace
told Cindy.
"Good! Now if you follow me, I'll get your tattoo done for you." Cindy explained
and led Jace through the Pirates Guild to the tattoo room. Jace and Cindy went into the
tattoo room. It was just a small, dimly lit room with a table in the middle that had two
chairs on either side. On the table was a weird looking device that looked almost like a
barcode scanner that Jace would find at work back at home. But it was way bigger and
bulkier. It was made out of wood and had a metal handle.
"Here we are!" Cindy said cheerfully.
"What is that thing on the table Cindy? It looks really weird." Jace remarked.
"That's our tattoo gun. It takes some of your blood through the handle, reads your
genetic information and tattoos all your special abilities, mana levels, health levels and
experience levels onto your forearm." Cindy explained with great knowledge.
"Wow, that's pretty futuristic for a world that's always been stuck in a pirate era."
Jace thought to himself. "Wait! It takes my blood?!" Jace shouted in anxiety.
"Yes, through the handle, like I said. It only takes a second, then the real pain
starts. Tattoos from this baby ain't no walk in the park. They're like an instant sunburn
that feels like it burns to the bone!" Cindy said while chuckling evilly.
"Are you trying to get me to bail on joining the Pirates Guild Cindy? Cause you're
almost accomplishing it. Ugh, let's just get this over with." Jace said with defeat in his
voice and made his way to the table and took a seat. Cindy sat across from him and
turned on the tattoo gun with a flick of a switch and some button pushing. It started up
like a lawn mower, like it had some kind of engine in it. A sharp needle shot out of the
handle of the tattoo gun and the other needle for the ink on the end of the gun started to
shake with life aggressively.
"You sure you still want to do this, Jace?" Cindy wondered with a smirk on her
face.
"Hurry up and do it before I change my mind!" Jace exclaimed.
"Ok! Here it goes! Cindy yelled.
Jace shut his eyes and clamped them shut.
"OW! Oh wait, that's not that bad, it only feels like a needle… Oh crap." Jace just
realized the first pinch of pain was just the needle for his blood. Then came the torture…
"OWW OWW OWWWWW!!! SHIT!!! THAT BURNS!!! MAKE IT STOP!!! MAKE IT
STOP!!!"
Jace was yelling as if someone shoved a red hot poker into his left arm and held
it there until the metal cooled.
"Hold still! You're making this way harder than it needs to be! This will take longer
if you keep on trying to pull away like that!" Cindy reprimanded as she struggled to hold
Jace's arm still while she tattooed him.
"BUT I CAN'T HELP IT!!!" Jace wailed while hot tears of pain flooded out of his
eyes and down his face.
After about five minutes of pure torture. The tattooing process was finished.
"There we go, all done. That took way too long with all your struggling and
spazzing. That's a new record if you ask me. You okay Jace? Hellooo?" Cindy chortled.
But it didn't matter. Jace was unconscious and laying face down on the table. "Ugh, the
things I have to do around here."
"Ughhh, my head. Where am I?" Jace asked out loud.
"Wow, you were out for about three hours." Cindy stated in awe. "Another new
record for the books. You're in one of the guest rooms by the way."
"Wait, three hours?! And you watched over me the whole time?" Jace wondered
flirtily.
"NO!!!" Cindy blushed. "Well actually I did. But I needed to make sure you were
still alive so I wouldn't have to fill out a bunch of paperwork."
"Sure, sure. I'll believe you this time. But if this happens again, make sure you
confess your feelings for me. Okay?" Jace taunted.
"Like I'd have feelings over a cry baby creep anyway!" Cindy shouted while
blushing and stormed out of the room angrily.
"Oh man, that tattoo gun was something else. That felt like, I don't even know. It
hurt so much I can't even describe it." Jace looked at his left forearm where the tattoo
should be. Jace's eyes almost burst out of his head. "Cindy! I think you need to come
take a look at this!" Jace called. Cindy's pounding footsteps could be heard
approaching. The door to Jace's guest room was flung open like it was kicked open.
"What is it?!" Cindy said with a look of impatience and frustration.
"Why are you so angry? I just wanted you to look at my tattoo. I think you should
see this for yourself." Jace revealed his tattoo to Cindy.
"Okay, let's see here." Cindy's face went pale. "What the hell?! Your mana is
insanely high! And what's this? You have special abilities of invisibility, super strength,
and navigation! And this is the most insane thing I've ever seen! Your Cutlass weapon
class is already maxed out at the Jolly Roger level! How is that even possible?! I know
pirates that have been training with a cutlass ever since they could walk and most of
them only got to the experience level Clap of Thunder! This is the most insane and
impossible thing I've ever seen!" Cindy jumped up and down in excitement with her
eyes closed. "Jace, I don't know how you have such stacked abilities, but I have one
more piece of advice for you. Wait, where did you go?" Cindy looked around frantically
but couldn't see Jace anywhere. Until Cindy felt a tap on her shoulder.
"BOO!!!" Jace appeared out of thin air and scared Cindy out of her wits.
"AHHH!!! A GHOST!!!" Cindy yelled out in fear.
"SLAP!!!" Another thunderous slap landed on Jace's face yet again.
"Not again…" Jace said in pain on the ground while he rubbed the red handprint
on his face. "You even made me lose health!" Jace looked at his tattoo and his health
bar magically went down a fraction.
"If you don't want to be slapped, then don't sneak up on people like that!" Cindy
fumed. "How did you sneak up on me like that?"
"Remember, on my tattoo, it says I have an ability of invisibility. I just thought I
would give it a try. It really works! That's sweet!" Jace explained with happiness.
"It sure does work! I completely thought you just left the room without saying
anything. And I'm glad you didn't, cause I needed to tell you one more thing." Cindy
inquired.
"What's that?" Jace asked.
"You're gonna need a crew before you can do any sort of voyaging with the
Pirate Guild. All you need is a minimum of four people including you to start a crew.
Then you can start going on voyages and get stronger!" Cindy told Jace informatively.
"Ok, that's perfect. I don't want a big crew anyway. Do you by any chance know
where I could look for people that would want to join my crew?" Jace asked Cindy.
"If I were you, I would go to a tavern. The biggest one in the port here would be
your best bet. It's called The Sea Shanty. It's easy to find, just go right from here and
straight ahead. You'll know the tavern once you hear it." Cindy explained.
"Sounds good! Thank you Cindy for all your help. I really appreciate everything
you've done for me." Jace said sincerely. Cindy blushed and looked away.
"You're welcome Jace. Make sure to stop by once you've got your crew. I would
love to see who gets stuck with you as a captain." Cindy jabbed.
"Ha, ha. They are sure gonna be in for a ride." Jace said with a sarcastic laugh.
"Well, I guess I'll see you when I've got my crew, Cindy!"
"See you later Jace! Hope you find a good scurvy group!" Cindy jocked as Jace
waved and left the room they were in. Jace headed out of the Pirates Guild and onto the
busy street once more. It was mid afternoon, the sun was bright and big, and the sky
was vast and blue, filled with billows of white clouds. Jace turned to his right and walked
straight ahead, just as Cindy told him to. The Sea Shanty was his destination, but as
Jace walked towards the tavern. He started to feel a bit nervous. Back in his world, he
was pretty anti-social. Talking to people made him really anxious. And now, for Jace to
find himself a crew. He would need to step out of his comfort zone and talk to complete
strangers. Jace kept on walking, and his chest kept on getting tighter and tighter. He
started to feel his pulse quicken as he got closer and closer to the tavern. Then he
arrived. Jace felt a feeling of stress in his gut, like a rock had been shoved inside of him.
Jace could hear loud and rambunctious laughter and talking coming from inside the
tavern.
"I guess that's what Cindy meant by, "You'll know the tavern once you hear it."
Jace thought to himself with a smile. He approached the door to the tavern and pushed
it open. The Sea Shanty tavern didn't even pay him any attention. Everyone at the
tavern was too focused on their good time.
"Thank goodness." Jace said as he let out a long sigh of relief. The Sea Shanty
was a big tavern. It had a main eating and drinking area at the base and entrance of the
tavern. And the serving area was up against the wall on the far side and across from the
entrance, opposite where Jace was standing. Beside Jace, on either side of him, were
two sets of stairs that went up to another level that was filled with more tables where
people could sit and enjoy themselves. The Sea Shanty was surprisingly packed, even
though it was mid afternoon.
"Alright. I guess I better start talking to people." Jace said to himself with a
shudder. Jace slowly approached the serving counter and sat on one of the free stools.
"Excuse me miss?" Jace called to a middle aged woman who was working at the
counter.
"What can I get ye?"
"I'll have a beer please." Jace said to the woman.
"Sure thing matie, right away." The woman grabbed a wooden cup that looked
like a mini barrel, and poured some golden and foamy beer out of a big barrel that was
behind her.
"Here ye go, mate." The woman gave the beer to Jace and smiled.
"Thank you!" Jace replied. Jace took a long sip of beer. "Ok, let's see. Who looks
like good crew material for me. I don't want anyone too rough around the edges. I want
to find someone who will get along with me. Like a friend." Jace thought to himself.
While Jace was drinking his beer and getting a buzz on to loosen up his social
stress, a hooded young woman was sitting on the other side of the tavern watching
Jace intently while she hid behind her own drink.
Jace kept on scanning the main floor of the tavern for some worthy applicants for
his crew. Jace continued to think to himself. "So for my crew. I'm going to want each
person to have their own set of skills and talents so we can work together to sail a ship.
I mean, if each person has multiple skills to add to the table, that would be perfect. Let's
see. I'm going to need someone who can use magic to get the sails of the ship to work
properly. I remember in the Introduction Booklet, it said there was magic like that to
compensate for having a smaller crew. I'm also going to need someone who knows
gunpowder really well. So we can have potent and powerful canons to fight off anyone
who might attack us at sea. And lastly, I'm gonna need a fighter. Someone who is skilled
in many different weapon classes. Someone who has been practicing and training with
weapons since birth so that they can wield powerful weapons..." Jace trailed off in his
thoughts in defeat. "This might be harder than I thought…"
"Oh! What about that guy? He looks like he can fight. And it looks like I'm done
drinking my beer, and I can already feel the alcohol starting to kick in. Woo! Here we
go." Jace started to approach a big, rugged, and muscular man armed to the teeth with
weapons. He was sitting alone and was dressed in common pirate attire, a brown
leather jacket graced his back while a white undershirt hid beneath his jacket and
weapons. He also wore slightly darker brown pants and sturdy, worn in, leather boots.
His face was laced with sun dried skin and scars. A scruffy brown beard hugged his
face while his long and spruce, oak, and coffee coloured hair draped to his shoulders in
luscious waves that crept out from under a blood red bandana. As Jace got closer to the
man, the man noticed him, and with his deep and intimidating gray eyes, he locked his
gaze on Jace intensely. Jace's legs started to shake and his heart pounded as he got
closer to the table where the man was sitting. Jace got to the table and sat across from
the man.
"I've got, um, a question for, um, you." Jace squawked.
"What are ye wonderin' mate?" The man said with a deep and powerful voice.
"Are you interested in, um, joining my crew?" Jace could barely get his words out
clearly he was so intimidated and stressed.
As Jace was talking to the man, the hooded young woman was still watching
Jace, and studying him.
"Ha! Are ye kiddin'?!" The man bellowed condescendingly. "I've been with ten
different crews. Each one with captains that were tougher than the last. And ye are no
captain mate. Look for someone else, I'm not interested. Ha, ha, ha!" The man got up
and left the tavern, laughing all the way out.
"Ughh… That sucked…" Jace slumped down and flopped his face and arms onto
the table and sighed to himself.
"Are you Jace?" A soft feminine voice asked. Jace looked up in surprise.
"Uh, yes, that's me. Who are you?" Jace wondered.
The hooded young woman had witnessed the conversation Jace just had and
approached Jace after the man had left.
"My name is Casie. And I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with that
man just now. And I would like to join your crew." Casie explained and removed her
hood. She was a pretty, short, and cute young woman with serene blue eyes that
sparkled like gems. She had long, wavy blonde hair that flowed like a river of gold and
she wore blue and rustic pants along with a cloudy white long sleeved shirt. And on top
of it all, she wore a brown cloak that came with a hood.
"You want to join my crew?!" Jace answered in surprise. "Okay, sounds good!
Before I let you join though. What abilities and talents do you have if you don't mind me
asking?"
"Here, you can look at my tattoo." Casie lifted up her left arm to Jace so he could
read it.
"So she's a member of a Pirates Guild. I don't know if she is a member with this
one in Port Savvy. But she's a member nonetheless." Jace thought and then spoke.
"Alright, let's see what you've got going on here." Jace examined Casie's tattoo. "Your
mana is pretty high, but your experience level on the weapon classes are pretty low,
except the dagger one, that one is actually pretty high! Let's see what abilities you have.
Woah! These are some crazy abilities! You have what I'm looking for and more! You
have the ability to control sails and masts without using incantations! I'm pretty sure
almost anyone can use incantations to control a ship, but your special ability will be
much more efficient! And this ability is even better! It says on your arm that you have
the talent to, whenever our ship gets plundered or sunk, to be able to get back a quarter
of what we had no matter what! You are going to be one great crew mate, mate!" Jace
said with enthusiasm and a smile on his face. Casie blushed.
"So I'm on the crew?" Casie asked.
"Of course! How could I pass up a person like you!" Jace remarked
encouragingly.
"Awesome!" Casie said with a happy smile. "Looks like I found him." Casie said
under her breath.
"What was that?" Jace asked.
"Oh, nothing. Should we look for more people to join our crew?" Casie
reinformed.
"Yes, we should. But I don't know where to look. After running into you. We have
someone who can sail the ship. But we still need someone who knows gunpowder and
someone who can fight." Jace explained.
"I don't think you'll find anyone with those exact specifications here at The Sea
Shanty. If I were you, I would look at places where people that would have those talents
would be. I know an armory here that specializes in weapons and gunpowder that can
cause devastating destruction. Let me take you there." Casie explained.
"Wow, you are really smart! Another quality that will be needed in our crew!" Jace
stated proudly.
"Thanks." Casie blushed. "Well. Let's get going to the armory I told you about! It's
called BOOM!"
"Huh, that's a straight forward and odd name." Jace acknowledged. "But I guess
it gets the message across. Let's go!"
Jace and Casie both left The Sea Shanty and started on their way to BOOM!
Jace and Casie traveled towards the other side of the port and out onto a field that had
one solitary building in it. It was getting kind of late and the sun was starting to duck
under the horizon. It cascaded many beautiful and brilliant pink and red beams of light
across the sky and clouds that danced together in waves of elegance and beauty.
"Is that the armory BOOM!" Jace asked.
"It is. And I bet you're wondering why it's so secluded." Jace and Casie continued
to get closer to the armory. "The reason it's all the way out here from the port is because
their gunpowder and explosives are so potent, that having the building inside of the port
could jeopardize the entire port's safety!" Casie stated excitedly.
"What?! Really?! That's insane! I hope we can find someone that is willing to
leave their job here and come with us." Jace said.
"You're fired, miss! Don't come near this place again! With that kind of mixture of
powder, yer gonna blow up this whole bloody island!" A man yelled from inside BOOM!
Jace and Casie stopped just outside of BOOM! as they heard the yelling and grew
curious expressions on their faces. The front door flung open and a short young and
pretty lady came storming out. She was wearing a classic leather brown pirate coat and
hat, accompanied by a deep and rich red undershirt along with a pair of worn in brown
pants and leather boots. She also had very dark brown hair that shared the color of a
rustic spruce tree along with fiery orange eyes that almost glowed in the dark.
"I thought the name of this place was perfect for me! You're gonna regret
throwing me out! You won't find any better work!" The pretty lady yelled back inside
BOOM! and slammed the door so hard the nails in the wood rattled. "Hmph, that blows!"
"Excuse me, um, are you looking for work by any chance?" Jace approached the
pretty lady nervously. "Cause I'm looking for crew members. And I need someone who
knows gunpowder." Jace informed the pretty lady.
"What do you know? Another job offer, and right after I got fired. I guess I could
use the work. I need food and a bed right? Fine. I'll join your crew. You won't be sorry!
I'm the best at what I do! I make the most potent gunpowder! I can make gunpowder
that can blow up an entire battalion of ships! My name is Flamett! And what is my
captain's name if I may ask?" Flamett explained with great enthusiasm.
"My name is, um, Jace! And welcome to the crew!" Jace said with a shy but
slightly open smile on his face. "Alright! We almost have our crew already! So all we
need to do now is find someone who can fight! But it's getting kind of late." Jace, Casie,
and Flamett all looked towards the sun, which was just finishing its day and hiding
behind the horizon with a glorious and majestic sunset. One filled with pinks, purples,
reds, and oranges that harmonized together perfectly.
"I guess we'll have to find a place to sleep. Oh! That reminds me. The Pirates
Guild has rooms to stay at! Let's all go there! We can sleep and find our last crew
member tomorrow!" Jace said triumphantly.
"Sounds like a plan!" The girls exclaimed in unison. But when Jace started talking
after he met Flamett, he found himself not feeling as socially stressed or awkward
anymore. To Jace's surprise, he felt shockingly comfortable with his two new crew
members already, he felt like he could be himself.
"Honestly." Jace thought to himself. "I thought it would take longer to feel this
way, but I'll take it. Feeling nervous and awkward is just gonna take away from the fun
and experiences ahead.
Jace, Casie, and Flamett all made their way towards the Pirates Guild. They all
walked towards and through Port Savvy in the warm, dewy, and damp early night.
Together, the makings of a great crew arrived and entered the Pirates Guild.
"Hey Jace!" Cindy called out as she approached Jace, Casie, and Flamett
cheerfully. "So is this your crew? You guys don't look like much, but I guess we all must
start somewhere right?!"
"Gee, thanks..." Jace, Casie, and Flamett said together blankly.
"Huh, it looks like you're short one person for a crew Jace." Cindy noticed.
"Yeah, we thought we would come back here and stay the night and look for our
last crew member tomorrow. Is that okay?" Jace asked.
"Of course! That's why we have all our extra rooms. But it's going to cost you. It
won't be as expensive as an inn, but it won't be super cheap either." Cindy informed
Jace.
"Oh, crap." Jace patted each of his pockets remembering that he was broke. "Do
you guys have any money?" Jace turned and sheepishly asked Flamett and Casie.
"Ugh, it's on me." Casie said with frustration in her voice.
"So will you all be getting separate rooms? Or sleeping all in one room?" Cindy
wondered.
"We don't want to all sleep together. Would it be more expensive for separate
rooms?" Casie asked.
"Yes, but our rooms have more than one bed in them." Jace, Casie, and Flamett
stared blankly at Cindy. "What!? Did you expect you'd all be sleeping together in one
bed?! Ha, ha! That would be so awkward! You all just met! Ahh! That's funny!" Cindy
laughed so loud it echoed through the Pirates Guild. Jace, Casie, and Flamett continued
to stare at Cindy blankly. "I have a room with two beds in it just over there." Cindy
pointed to the other side of the Pirates Guild to a door while still chuckling.
"Thanks Cindy. We appreciate your hospitality." Jace said with an exhausted
sigh. Jace, Casie, and Flamett went to their room and got ready for bed. Flamett and
Casie slept together in one of the beds while Jace slept on his own in the second bed.
"Good night guys." Jace said to Casie and Flamett.
"Good night Jace. And don't get any funny ideas tonight!" Casie and Flamett
jabbed jokingly.
"Huh?! What's wrong with you guys?! I won't go near either of you. I'm just gonna
mind my own business over here." Jace said defensively.
"Alright, but I'm a pretty light sleeper. So I'll know if you do anything." Casie
remarked with a sly grin on her face as she locked eyes with Jace.
"I promise I won't do anything!" Jace blushed and put his hands in front of himself
in surrender.
"I'm going to sleep! Goodnight!" Jace frantically blew out the oil lamp that was
beside him and a comforting and sleep filled darkness filled the room.
"Same here, Jace. I wake up to anything that moves or touches me, so watch
yourself!" Flamett stabbed Jace jokingly in the dark.
"Oh, would you guys drop it already?! I'm going to sleep, and for the record. I'm
keeping my hands to myself!" Jace blurted out while Casie and Flamett chuckled
together.
"I'm just gonna ignore you guys…" Jace said with an annoyed voice and fell
asleep to the quiet and hushed laughter of his two crew mates.
Jace's eyes started to shift, and he opened them. It was morning and he had
woken up before Casie and Flamett did. Jace rolled onto his side and faced Casie and
Flamett who were both a mess in their bed. They were completely stretched out with
bed heads and had their blankets and sheets and pillows everywhere. Jace smiled a
content smile and noticed he felt different. Back at home, he would feel tired and
unmotivated to get up and start the day. But this time. He woke up feeling refreshed.
And he actually wanted to start the day. He wanted to move and get up. He felt… better.
"Ahhhh." Jace sighed satisfyingly. "Looks like I'm the first one up." Jace said to
himself. "I think I'm gonna go and grab some water." Jace got up from his bed and
walked out of the room.
"Hey! Are ye listenin' to us! We've been very loyal to ye as yer crew, and ye
never pay us for what we're worth!" Ten men were surrounding a shrouded man and
yelling at him. "We demand payment!" One of the men in the group shouted.
"Let's beat the landlubber up and take all his gear! He has lots of high class
weapons. That stuff is probably worth a lot of money!" Another man exclaimed.
"Hey! Let's all just calm down, okay everyone?" Cindy begged all the men that
were getting ready to attack the shrouded man.
"Hey… What's going on?" Casie and Flamett stumbled behind Jace and rubbed
their eyes. Casie's hair looked like an animal rummaged in it and made a nest. And
Flamett had her hat on to cover up her disaster too, but it was still noticeable and
peaked out from under her hat in sporadic directions.
"I don't know, but it looks like someone is about to get a beat down." Jace
informed Casie and Flamett. Flamett and Casie stood beside Jace as they were still
waking up and watched the commotion that was going on.
"Fine. Let's fight. I'll take you all on." The shrouded man said confidently with a
deep and raspy voice.
"Are ye serious? There's no way ye could take us all on at once!" One of the men
sharply insulted. "Come on men! Let's get him!" All the men drew their cutlasses and
sabers from their sheaths and lunged towards the shrouded man all at once. In a flash
of technique and precision, the shrouded man dodged and weaved in between all the
men attacking him and knocked each one out with one hit in the blink of an eye.
"I guess I'm no longer your captain, and you're no longer my crew." The shrouded
man said in disgust.
"Ho… ly… CRAP!!! We need that guy on our crew! He's the missing link!" Jace
pointed at the shrouded man as he jumped up and down and looked at Casie and
Flamett with joy.
"Huh? A crew?" The man perked his head towards Jace, Casie, and Flamett.
"Oh, shit… Did I say that out loud?" Jace said to himself in shock. The man
locked eyes with Jace and started to approach him and the girls with a serious and
intimidating look on his face. The man was a tall and muscular guy. He had long and
silver hair and ghostly gray eyes. He also bore many scars on his face and arms. He
was wearing a white sailors shirt with an oak brown jacket on his neck that was worn
like a cape. He also wore a pair of brown pants and was armed head to toe in weapons.
From a saber and cutlass on either side of his waist, to a flintlock pistol, also on his
waist in front of him in a holster, to a dagger that was on his right leg sitting comfortably
in its sheath, and a musket strapped to his back. He physically emitted strength and
power. And Jace, Casie, and Flamett could sense it.
"You said you needed someone for your crew? Is that right?" The man stood right
in front of Jace and kept holding intense eye contact.
"Um. Yeah. We just need, um, one more person." Jace said tightly.
"Hmm, a crew of four. That doesn't seem worth my time." The man pronounced
judgingly.
"Hey!" Flamett butted in. "This crew is well worth your time! We are all skilled
individuals! And we can prove it to you!"
"How can you prove that? You haven't even been on a single voyage yet. And I
haven't even seen what you are all capable of." The man remarked sharply.
"You're just gonna have to trust us." Flamett said strongly.
"Hmm." The man stared at Jace, Casie, and Flamett. "Fine. I'll trust you. You're
lucky I have nothing better to do. But you better not disappoint me. I want adventures
and I want to fight really strong foes. I also want to reap the rewards and bounties from
our voyages. If you can't supply me with that. Then I'm out. And by the way. My name is
Thrasher."
"Awesome! We're glad to meet you!" Jace said welcomely and still with tightness
in his voice.
"Well that was impressive." Cindy admired and waltzed her way over to Jace and
his crew who noticed her approach. "Well then Jace. I guess you've found your last
crew member!"
"Yeah! It looks like it! That worked out way better than I thought it would!" Jace
said with surprise.
"Alright! So for me to make you an official crew of the Pirates Guild, I need to
have all of you to be members here. I already know Thrasher is one. He was just a
captain of a crew." Cindy remarked.
"Hmmm." Thrasher growled and stared daggers at Cindy.
"Oh! My bad, ha, ha. Too soon I guess." Cindy said with embarrassment and
continued. "I know Casie is also a member, she joined earlier yesterday. Right before
you did Jace!" Cindy informed Jace.
"Oh, really?! I guess I just missed her yesterday then." Jace said.
"And now that leaves us with, what's your name lass?" Cindy asked towards
Flamett.
"My name is Flamett ma'am." Flamett inquired.
"Nice to meet you! My name is Cindy. May I see your left forearm please?" Cindy
questioned.
"Sure. Why not." Flamett showed her left forearm to Cindy.
"Ah! No tattoo! So I take it you're not a member of the Pirates Guild." Cindy
stated.
"No, I'm not. How do I join?" Flamett asked Cindy.
"Follow me." Cindy said with a sneaky grin and took Flamett by the hand. Casie
and Jace both held their left forearms in pain. And Thrasher just stayed still with a stoic
look on his face.
"We'll be waiting for you by the bar!" Jace called towards a worried looking
Flamett as she was being dragged away by Cindy who was still grinning.
"Alright. I guess while we wait for Flamett to join the Pirates Guild. We should get
to know each other a bit better." Jace explained to Casie and Thrasher. "Let's all go
grab a beer or a mug of rum and talk." Jace, Casie, and Thrasher walked together
towards the bar of the Pirates guild and ordered drinks. Casie ordered a pint of beer.
Thrasher ordered himself a tall mug of rum. And Jace also got himself a pint of beer.
Casie, of course, covered his drink. Casie gave a death glare to Jace that cut right into
his soul.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that! I promise once we start earning money on
adventures and voyages you won't have to cover for me again!" Jace said sheepishly.
"Fine. But if I have to cover for you again, so help me!" Casie fumed.
"Mates. Let's all calm down and talk. There's a free table over there." Thrasher
calmly explained and defused the friction between Jace and Casie. The three crew
mates went to an empty table close to the bar and sat down together. Jace, Casie, and
Thrasher started to take sips and swigs of their drinks. Then Jace put his mug down
intently.
"Ok. I guess I'll start. My name is Jace. I'm pretty sure both of you know that
already. I just didn't know how to start." Jace scratched his head in embarrassment. "But
anyway. I'm kinda new around here. I ended up on shore here with almost nothing and I
don't remember much of anything. And my goal is to fight the evil in this world. It looks
like I'm gonna be your captain and I have pretty high levels of mana. I have special
abilities of navigation, super strength, and invisibility. All my weapon experience levels
are pretty low except for my cutlass one. I have that one maxed out at Jolly Roger.
"WAIT!!! What did you say?!" Thrasher and Casie shouted together in awe.
Thrasher and Casie leaned in close to Jace with shocked expressions on their faces.
"THAT'S INSANE!!!"
"I didn't even know a Jolly Roger level of experience was possible." Thrasher
started to explain. "I've been training with weapons basically my whole life and I've only
ever gotten to Clap of Thunder." Thrasher stated sadly.
"Hey! Don't get down Thrasher! Clap of Thunder is still insanely impressive. And
you're skilled with tons of different weapons. Way more than I could imagine!" Jace
encouraged Thrasher. Thrasher received his encouragement well and smiled a humble
and sincere smile.
"Hmm, I guess I'll go next then." Thrasher started to introduce himself to Jace
and Casie. "I don't need to tell you my name again. You are both already inclined to that
information. I have been training with all kinds of weapons since I could hold a cutlass.
Weapons and combat are my life and passion. I love to fight enemies who push me to
my limits and challenge me! I also love plundering ships that I've sunk and I love finding
treasure on faraway islands! And lastly, I also enjoy having good and memorable times
with my crew mates, like drinking together after a hard fought battle or after finding a
massive haul of booty!" Thrasher said with passion.
"Nice to meet you Thrasher!" Jace shook Thrasher's hand and smiled.
"Nice to meet you too!" Casie also shook Thrasher's hand and smiled.
"Looks like it's my turn now." Casie also started to introduce herself. "My name is
Casie. I know Jace already knows that. But I don't think I told you my name yet,
Thrasher."
"No, I don't think you did. It's nice to meet you Casie." Thrasher replied.
"Thank you Thrasher!" Casie smiled warmly and continued. "I've lived in port
Savvy my whole life and I just recently joined the Pirates Guild because I was interested
in trying out the whole adventuring life. I'm somewhat of a mage. I can cast healing
spells. I can cast stat boosting spells. And I can control a ship's sails without
incantations. I also love sailing ships in the ocean. I did it once when I was a kid with my
parents. And I've never gotten over that feeling of freedom and joy I would get when I
felt the rocking of the ship, and the spray of the ocean, and when I heard the sounds of
the sails and pulleys billowing in the wind. I guess that's another reason I joined the
Pirates Guild. So I can sail as much as I want with people that I like!" Casie finished
introducing herself and smiled.
"It's nice to meet you more Casie!" Jace said and smiled back gently.
"OW OW OWWWW!!! THAT FREAKING HURTS!!!" Jace, Thrasher, Casie and
the entire Pirates Guild heard the cries of pain from Flamett as she was getting her
tattoo. Jace and Casie once again grabbed their left arms and winced in pain,
remembering the torture they went through. Thrasher looked at Jace and Casie
curiously.
"I wonder why they're holding their arms in pain again." Thrasher thought to
himself.
Flamett and Cindy, soon after the yelling, approached Jace, Thrasher, and Casie
at their table. Flamett was clutching her left arm and tears were rolling down her eyes.
"All done!" Cindy said happily.
"Thank goodness we're done. I thought I was going to black out for a second
back there." Flamett said and cringed in pain.
"Hey Flamett! Let's see what your tattoo says!" Jace called out. Flamett slammed
her beating red arm on the table limply for everyone to see her tattoo.
"WHOAH!!!" Everyone said in unison.
"Your skills and talents are awesome!" Jace admired.
"Yes! These will come in handy!" Thrasher said proudly.
"Your skills complete our crew perfectly, Flamett!" Casie pronounced
encouragingly. Cindy started to read Flamett's tattoo for everyone.
"It looks like your mana bar is super high! And that's perfect because your skills
and talents compliment that trait. It says that you have strong magic endurance,
powerful combat magic capabilities, and malleable spell casting!"
"Wait, what's malleable spell casting?" Flamett asked Cindy.
"I'm glad you asked! It's a very rare talent and skill for someone to possess. It
means you don't have to say specific incantations for spells you learn. But you still have
to say and think about something. But the best part is that you can say whatever you
want to make a spell happen. You just have to make sure you say a word that
somewhat defines the magic you are casting." Cindy continued to explain malleable
spell casting to Flamett. "For example. If you were to conjure a spell for fire to light up in
your hand. Instead of having to say "Let a warm and hot light accumulate in my hand
and flicker like a candle." You would just have to look at your hand, imagine some fire in
your hand, and say "ignite!" or "fire!" And some fire would appear in your hand."
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Flamett stated excitedly. "What are my weapon
experience levels at?"
"They're not very high. They are all low to mid-tier levels. So you can wield basic
weapons that have some basic perks and abilities added to them." Cindy explained.
"This is so awesome! This works perfect for me and our crew! I was brought on
for making gunpowder for the cannons. But with my skills and talents, I can do that and
more! I can imbue my special gunpowder mixtures with high levels of potent fire magic
to make the most powerful gunpowder this world has ever seen!" Flamett exclaimed
with fiery passion in her eyes.
"Alright! Now that you are all members of the Pirates Guild, let's make your crew
official!" Cindy cheered. "Follow me!" Jace, Thrasher, Casie, and Flamett all followed
Cindy through the Pirates Guild to the counter where Jace first met Cindy.
"So to make your crew official, you all need to design a flag that you will fly
proudly on the ship you're gonna be sailing! Just tell me what design you want on the
flag, and I'll draw it up for you! I happen to be a really good artist!" Cindy exclaimed.
"Sweet!" Jace and his crew agreed in unison.
"But before I start drawing, what color of flag do you guys want?" Cindy asked.
"Black!" Everyone excitedly said together. Jace, Thrasher, Casie, and Flamett all
looked at each other and laughed.
"What should our flag look like, Jace?" Casie asked while wiping a tear of
laughter from her eye.
"Yeah! What do you think?" Flamett inquired while still chuckling.
"I'm happy with whatever Jace chooses, as long as we are all in agreement."
Thrasher explained with a smile still on his face from laughing.
"Hmm…" Jace thought out loud for everyone to hear. "I think our flag should look
like the Jolly Roger flag. It has a skull and two cutlasses on it. But we should add our
own personal and individual twists and marks to it."
"That sounds perfect!" Jace's crew agreed together happily.
"I will add a gold doubloon in one of the eyes as my personal mark!" Jace
pronounced proudly. And as Jace explained the flag design, Cindy started drawing
away.
"My personal touch will be a fuse that's lit coming right out of the top of the skull!"
Flamett shouted excitedly. Cindy kept on drawing and staying focused.
"I think I want my mark to be a drawing of a ship on the left side of the skull
looking proud and daunting!" Casie said ecstatically.
"And for me. I want my mark to be, instead of having two cutlasses underneath
the skull. We have one cutlass and one musket!" Thrasher exclaimed. Cindy was
drawing furiously and with perfect execution. Jace, Casie, Flamett, and Thrasher
watched in awe as they witnessed Cindy work.
"All done! What do you guys think?" Cindy held up Jace's crew's flag with pride
and honor. "I said. What do you guys think?" Cindy asked again. But it was no use.
Jace, Flamett, Casie, and Thrasher were stuck in awestruck and were staring at the flag
Cindy had created.
"It's perfect!!!" Jace and his crew jumped and yelled in celebration together.